INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
PROMOTES PROXIMITY

Distance creates misunderstandings, while proximity eliminates them, turning strangers into friends. Interfaith dialogue is the way to promote proximity.

In the second half of December 1992, a ‘Shanti Yatra’ (Journey of Peace) occurred after the Ayodhya incident. It involved travelling to many places, including Delhi, Pune, Nagpur, and Mumbai (Mumbai), and back to Delhi. In this journey, a total distance of approximately six thousand kilometres had to be covered. This was the first journey of its kind that I participated in in my life. It was a journey in the form of a team. Besides me, the participants included Acharya Sushil Kumar, Swami Chidanand, Shantilal Muttha, Anna Hazare Sahib, and Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmakari.

Acharya Sushil Kumar was a non-contentious figure in India who had dedicated his entire life to promoting peace. The unrest resulting from the Ayodhya incident made him restless.  Meetings of leaders of every religion—Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian—were held in New Delhi. Finally, it was decided that some practical steps should be taken in this series to promote peace.

This series began with a T.V. program on December 14, 1992. People of various religions gathered at Defence Colony (New Delhi). The T.V. team arrived there. Everyone was asked the same question: “What would you like to say to the country’s people in the current situation?” Representatives of every religion said that at this time, it is most important to establish peace and eliminate hatred. I also expressed the same sentiment in my own words.

I further said that when people come together, differences arise between them, whether in one house or one country, which often leads to discord. Therefore, practically, the only way peace can be established is when the people adopt the path of peace and love despite differences.

Another program aired on TV Today was a panel discussion. Acharya Sushil Kumar, Bishop Gregorios (Dr. Paulos Mar Gregorios), and I participated in it. Each of us presented our thoughts on the theme of religion and peace. I said that religion is essentially a spiritual system that purifies human nature. Due to the decline of religion in the present era, people have started giving more importance to external forms, leading to conflict. People with true religious spirit will emphasize their internal qualities more, and the conflict will naturally be resolved.

Commenting on these T.V. programs, someone said that Doordarshan did an excellent job by allowing people to speak on the current situation. Previously, Doordarshan used to bring leaders or secular intellectuals on such topics. However, there is no practical benefit in making political leaders or secular intellectuals talk about religion and humanity. Religious people should address these matters. This program had a good impact on people.

I departed from Delhi to Mumbai on December 15, 1992, at 8 a.m. I read a report in The Indian Express (dated December 15) while on the airplane—the report, written by Mr. N.D. Sharma, bearing the dateline of Bhopal, highlighted that the annual congregation of the Tablighi Jamat was scheduled to take place from December 19 to 21 in Bhopal. According to expectations, two lakh people were to participate in this gathering. However, due to disturbances, a curfew was still in force in Bhopal, causing concern to the state administration. The ruling party of Madhya Pradesh (BJP) suggested that the gathering be held briefly and inconspicuously, to which the Jamaat people agreed. The report stated:

“As an alternative, the ruling party leaders have requested the organizers to keep it a low-key affair, and they have agreed.” (p.12)

This was an excellent decision. If such adjustments are made in delicate situations, most social conflicts will naturally be resolved. This temperament is aptly described in a tradition of Prophet Muhammad that compares a believer to grass in the field: when the wind blows from one direction, it bends in that direction, and when it blows from the other direction, it bends accordingly. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2810; Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 5644)

The Shanti Yatra began in Pune on December 16, 1992. A jeep ahead played peace song recordings, with our convoy of cars following behind it. This scene continued until the end. The impact of the songs being played from the jeep was profound. One of the verses of the song was:

Yadi bhala kisi se kar na sako to,
Bura kisi se mat karna.

“If you cannot do good to anyone,
Do not harm anyone.”

Another verse from the song was:

Asha ki deepak jalne do,
Toote hue dil ko judne do,
Sab ko ek raah dikhana hai,
Baadhayein door hatana hai,
Itihaas ke panne likhne do,
Ganga Jamuna ko milne do.

“Keep the lamp of hope burning,
Let the broken heart heal,
Show everyone a path,
Remove the obstacles,
Let history be written,
Let the Ganga and Jamuna meet.”

Upon hearing the final verse, my heart felt an inexplicable sensation. It felt like the words of the song were echoing through the streets, echoing what Swami Vivekananda had said a hundred years ago: “I see with the eye of my future that Islam and Hinduism are together building a splendid new India.” A desire arose in my heart that these streams of the Ganga and Jamuna could become one and create a great flood of unity and hope.

The Shanti Yatra started in Pune on December 15, 1992, and ended in Nagpur on December 21. From Pune, the journey was to go through 35 different places such as Chakan, Manchar, Sangamner, Nandgaon, Maligaon, Rampur, Nwasah, Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Ahmedpur, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Akola, Amravati, Sewagram, Wardha, and finally reach Nagpur, which was the last destination of this journey.

All arrangements were completed in advance through telephones in every area. Due to tensions in the region, public gatherings were entirely prohibited. However, due to the efforts and influence of Pune’s Shantilal Muttha, permissions were obtained everywhere, and all this was accomplished within a few days.

The method used during the Shanti Yatra was initially to enter a neighbourhood and undertake a padayatra (pedestrian journey) for one or two hours.

During this time, people would join our caravan in large numbers. Thus, the Shanti Yatra progressed, reaching specific destinations. A stage was already set at each stop, where we would pause and deliver speeches emphasizing peace and development. This same approach continued at all the locations throughout the journey.

Everywhere, people were remarkably enthusiastic. I observed that during our travels, someone would warmly welcome us with sweets when we reached a place. Another person would bring garlands for us. Some other person would give us flowers. There was a strange fervour among the people. And when we held the final session to leave that place, I observed that people participated in large numbers everywhere.

Seeing this scene, the voice of peace and tranquillity echoed in every person’s heart, which resonates with the strings of human nature. And when the call is in accordance with human nature, nothing can obstruct its response from the people.

After entering Chakan, the padayatra and other programs were conducted. During the meeting, a gentleman from Chakan asked me, “What is your purpose in conducting the Shanti Yatra?” I replied, “The purpose is to awaken human nature. The current atmosphere of conflict in the country is due to the fact that some people have led others astray from their true nature by spreading falsehoods. We want to bring people back to their nature. In this world, deviation from nature leads to destruction, and adherence to nature results in progress.”

Then I said, “A society of tolerance is built by tolerating intolerance. It is necessary to cultivate in people the attitude that if something bitter comes up, it should be ignored. Because sometimes a contrary opinion will inevitably arise. You know, even flowers have thorns. Then how can our society be devoid of such things when even God’s garden, the Earth, is not free from thorns?”

As we entered Sangamner, these words echoed on the front jeep of our convoy, “Let the Ganga and Jamuna meet.” One party member said, “Our country is the Sangam of Ganga and Jamuna.” Similarly, this country is also a confluence of different cultures. If Sangamner becomes an example of a facet of the country, it will be the best thing for it in terms of its name.

During this journey, wherever we went, we gained new experiences. On December 16, we reached a place while walking on the roads of Nandgaon. Many shops appeared burnt. Smoke was still rising from one shop, and water was being poured through a pipe to extinguish it. Seeing this was a shock to the heart. I thought that when it is one’s own shop, a person decorates it with utmost enthusiasm, but when it belongs to someone else, they destroy it mercilessly. Selfishness is indeed strange.

Moving forward, we arrived at a school where young children in uniforms joined us and started walking alongside us with their tiny feet. Seeing them reminded me of a saying: “Whenever a child is born, it is a sign that God has not given up His hopes on humanity.” Swami Chidanand mentioned that such violence had occurred in Nandgaon for the first time. Let it be decided that it is the first time it happened and it is also the last. 

In Shri Rampur, all programs went on as usual and were quite successful. During the meetings, an enlightening story from Shri Rampur emerged.

There is a grave here. After December 6, some wicked person vandalized the grave at night. Such incidents usually lead to tension between two communities, and then bloody turmoil ensues. But this did not happen in Shri Rampur.

The reason was that when this incident occurred, Hindu and Muslim residents of the village gathered and rebuilt the grave together. They then placed a standard cover over it. In this way, they diffused the bomb of discord.  I learned about this incident on December 17 when the Shanti Yatra reached Shri Rampur.

We reached Nivasa on the evening of December 17. After the padayatra, the usual meeting occurred, during which our companions delivered speeches. In my speech, I said that conflicts arising in life are natural. They will always happen, whether in one society or another. Then what is the solution? While narrating some incidents, I presented two simple prescriptions as solutions. First, the distance between people should be reduced, meaning that people from one group should interact with people from another group. They should eliminate mutual distance. Then, many misconceptions will automatically vanish. Secondly, I said that when disputes or differences do arise, you should not follow the principle of confrontation but that you should follow the principle of dialogue. We should diffuse the explosive situation to nip the conflict in the bud. If you do this, you will end the conflict at its very first stage.

After my speech, some Hindu youths approached me. After listening to me, they said they had never thought this way before. But today, they understand that this is reality, and this is what they should do.

After the padayatra, there was a large gathering in Jalna. People were seen as far as the eye could see. The speeches went on until evening. A curfew was in place there from evening until morning. People were listening with great interest. However, due to concerns about the curfew, they began to disperse. The superintendent of police of Jalna was sitting on the stage in front of the podium. He immediately announced that people should ignore the curfew, listen to the statements here until the end, and then return home peacefully. Consequently, the proceedings of the meeting continued smoothly.

In my speech in Jalna, I said that there were so many people here that it was as if the entire town had gathered. It shows how much people desire peace and tranquillity. The truth is that everyone prefers peace to violence. So why is it that there are riots among us sometimes? I said this is because some things meant for goodness are turned into evil actions. When the Creator created human beings, along with it, He created something else, which you call a rose. A rose flower is the king of flowers. It is indeed beautiful. But the rose flower also has thorns. This, it seems, is giving us a message in the language of nature that there will always be thorns along with flowers. If you want to take flowers here, you must ignore the thorns. Without ignoring the thorns, you cannot find something as precious as a flower in this world. We should live our social lives based on this principle.

We reached Beed on December 18. Countless people participated in the Shanti Yatra there. Finally, when the meeting took place, so many people gathered that people were visible far and wide. I also gave a detailed speech along with others. After the speech, many people had an extraordinary impression of my speech. A local Hindu journalist, Rajendraman, told me he was sitting near the stage, and shared, “The Collector, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Sharma, was sitting nearby. He was listening to your speech very attentively and was positively affected by it.” Then, he said that he saw tears in Mr. Sharma’s eyes while listening to my speech.

After completing the Shanti Yatra program in Ahmedpur, I met a Hindu leader, Mr. Kedar. He said that after December 6, some incidents occurred in the city. A temple was also demolished. After that, Hindus and Muslims gathered there. Everyone condemned this act and decided to rebuild the temple together. Therefore, people from both communities rebuilt the temple with their own hands. No government aid was accepted.

During this journey, I felt that my Hindu companions preferred to hear about Islam with interest. Whenever I wanted to say something in general without reference to Islam, they requested me to tell them about Islam. We want to hear about Islam from an Islamic scholar.

On December 20, we were in Akola. After the program ended, we had dinner there at Mr. Dilip Kothari’s place. After dinner, I was washing my hands in the washbasin. A young man brought a towel for me. He said, “Maulana Sahib, my name is Mahboob; please pray for me.” When I looked at him, he appeared healthy and cheerful. He said, “These people respect me a lot. They don’t let me suffer.” Then Mr. Kothari said, “There are no differences among us in our area. Look, this Muslim boy has been working as a domestic servant in our house for ten years. But we treat him like our son. We arranged his marriage with a Muslim girl. Both of them are happily living in our house.” I felt that people generally live on the level of nature, and on the level of nature, there are always good relations between people. However, our leaders misguide people, and this is where corruption begins. These incompetent leaders are working to disrupt the system of nature, which is forbidden in the Quran: “Do not spread corruption on the earth after it has been set in order.” (7:56)

After December 6, there were some disturbances in Akola and a loss of life and property. Mr. Ravinder Kumar said that there is a Muslim shrine here. On the morning of December 6, some Hindus attacked the shrine and caused damage to its building. But later, the Hindus themselves expressed regret for it. On the same day, in the evening, many Hindus reached the shrine. They started its repair and construction. They worked all night long. By the morning of December 8, the shrine had been rebuilt.

Listening to this incident, I said that the rebuilding of the shrine was indeed a testament to human nature. There is a deep feeling of repentance in human nature. After making a mistake, a person always falls into remorse. If the other party does not stop the action of human nature by making another mistake, then this nature will continue to work; it will feel ashamed and engage in the work of reconstruction.

We arrived in Amrawati on December 20, 1992, during the Shanti Yatra. After the usual pedestrian march, we stopped at a place during our journey. A large gathering had gathered there. Acharya Sushil Kumar and Swami Chidanand appealed to the people to maintain peace while they made their speeches.

When I stood up, I saw the environment of hatred and scenes of destruction all around. Tears flowed from my eyes. When I began my speech, these words came out of my mouth: “Why was the Shanti Yatra undertaken? This Shanti Yatra was undertaken so that the fire that the fire brigade could not extinguish could be extinguished by the tears of saints and the fakirs.”

It is a coincidence that after returning from the Shanti Yatra, The Times of India (December 29) carried the news referring to Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. Swami Vivekananda delivered a sermon at the conference of Chicago in 1893. On its seventieth anniversary, a ceremony of national consciousness was held in Kanyakumari. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao participated in it. While speaking, he said, “The country is now in crisis. In this crisis, we need the help of spiritual and religious leaders. Because they can understand the people’s emotions better than politicians. If this happens, this country will become a better place to live. I am searching for this real path on which the future of this country should walk.” According to the report of The Times of India (December 29, 1992), he said, “As a Prime Minister, I was like a thirsty traveller looking for water. But instead of water, I stepped into a mirage.’” (p. 4)

One member of our Shanti Yatra team was retired Justice Chandra Shekhar Dharmadhikari. In one of his speeches, he recounted an incident from around 1920, before independence. It happened at a gathering in Lahore, where a Muslim barrister, Mr. Alam, was delivering a speech. From the audience, someone asked him whether he was a Muslim or Indian first. The barrister replied that the question was incorrect. He said the proper way to ask such a question would be to ask whether someone was born to his mother or father first. He explained that a person is born to his father and mother simultaneously. Similarly, he said, he is both a Muslim and an Indian simultaneously.

Justice Chander Shekhar delivered this speech on December 21 at a peace conference in Nagpur. Upon hearing it, I remarked that this is the most natural answer to such a question. Some of our leaders saying ‘I am Muslim first and then Indian’ is undoubtedly a meaningless statement. It has no relation to Islam or reason.

The peace caravan consisted of several vehicles. Acharya Sushil Kumar, Swami Chidanand, and I were in one vehicle. The driver of this vehicle was a Muslim.

The organizers had stocked fruits, snacks, tea, etc., in sufficient quantity inside the vehicle. Whenever something was taken out to eat, I noticed Swami Chidanand insisting on sharing it with the Muslim driver. Throughout the journey, he continued to treat the driver with absolute equality.

Once, the driver took a wrong turn. After going quite far, it became apparent that we had taken the wrong route. Then we turned around and got back on the right track. Because of this, we were delayed by about one and a half hours in reaching our destination, and the program got disrupted.

At that moment, Swami Chidanand emphatically told us that upon reaching the destination, no one should say we arrived late due to the driver’s mistake. We should take responsibility for the delay upon ourselves. He strictly advised against blaming the driver. Accordingly, this was done, and the driver was saved from reprimand.

On December 21, after the session at Sevagram, I said that the atmosphere there was one of peace. We wished for this atmosphere of peace and tranquillity to prevail throughout the country. I said that Mahatma Gandhi mobilized the masses in the freedom movement based on non-violence. We want to mobilize the movement for the nation’s reconstruction again based on non-violence. While Mahatma Gandhi’s mission ended in 1948, from there, we have to start our mission again.

The Shanti Yatra ended in Nagpur. On December 23, 1992, I spent the day in Bombay. I met and conversed with several people. One significant meeting was with Mr. Rajendra Sudarshan Jain who was 37 years old then. At the age of 9, a firecracker caused damage to one of his eyes. When he had surgery, both of his eyes remained damaged due to the surgeon’s mistake, and now he was completely blind. I observed that he easily dialled phone numbers like a person with sight would. I learned that he runs a large business. He controls the entire business himself, even conducting business trips to foreign countries and handling significant business deals. I asked him if he had that thing inside him which is called the sixth sense. He replied that the sixth sense is not something mysterious.  He explained that when you lose something from within, nature compensates for it, and something else emerges within you. He said that he often finds that things turn out just fine without seeing, and it’s often accurate.

The principle of compensation is in the entire system of nature. Whenever you lose something, you should believe in advance that with the loss, there must have already emerged causes that would compensate for your deprivation.

From Bombay, I returned to Delhi. After reaching Delhi, the peace march ended. But I thought that the real work was now to be started. That means we have to extend the experience of the Shanti Yatra further. So, Mr. Shantilal Muttha said we will carry this peace movement throughout the country.

Swami Chidanand Saraswati is the chairman of the largest ashram in Rishikesh. His mission is spread across Europe, America, and Australia. He travels around the world throughout the year. After returning, I received a telephone call from Swamiji from Rishikesh. He said he is arranging books on Hinduism and Jainism. They will be titled ‘Hinduism and Daily Life’ and ‘Jainism and Daily Life’. He also wanted me to write a book on Islam titled ‘Islam and Daily Life’. This book could be about three hundred pages long. He said that he intends to publish these books in ten languages worldwide.

At the beginning of the Shanti Yatra, I spoke in secular terms without mentioning Islam. However, during private sessions, I often discussed the Quran and Hadith with people. After listening to a couple of speeches, Swami Chidanand said, “Maulana Sahib, the teachings of the Quran and Hadith that you tell us, please share them in the session as well. They are very enlightening for us.” Therefore, in subsequent speeches, I started presenting my point with reference to the Quran and Sunnah.

Before the Shanti Yatra, neither did I know Swami Chidananda, nor did he know me. Both of us were unfamiliar with each other’s names as well. However, the result of spending two weeks together was that after that, we became friends, and he became a reader of my magazine Al-Risala; he wanted me to write a three-hundred-page book on Islam so that it could be printed and spread worldwide. Again, I would reiterate that distance creates misunderstandings, and proximity eliminates misunderstandings, turning strangers into friends.

After returning from the journey, a friend asked if there was any religious basis for works like Shanti Yatra. I said that, in its essence, it is a kind of work that resembles the Hilf al-Fudul. Before his prophethood, some esteemed individuals in ancient Makkah had formed a society called ‘Hilf al-Fudul’. Its purpose was to prevent social unrest and voice the grievances of the oppressed.

Although this incident occurred before the prophethood, the Prophet endorsed it even after he had received prophethood, saying, ‘If I were invited to it in Islam, I would respond.’ (As-Sirah by Ibn Hisham, Vol. 1, p. 134).

From this, it is evident that the way of cooperation to protect social harmony and common social interests is precisely in accordance with Islam. Participating in such joint programs is a religious demand whose importance is proven through the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.